Keeping stamps and the postal service relevant

Do you have a stamp collection? While those of us belonging to a certain generation will readily answer in the affirmative, the question might elicit blank stares from a lot of kids today. But then, this is not surprising because we live in a time when correspondence through the Internet is customary and the use of postage stamps is not as common as in past decades. Which is quite a pity, really, because stamps are more than just colorful bits of printed paper that one pastes onto letters and parcels.

More than just tiny square, rectangular, or even triangular bits of art, stamps depict historical events, people and places. From a sociological viewpoint, they can represent the culture, common interests and prevalent views of society during the time of their issue. One can even take it further by saying that the images printed on stamps reflect political climes. Thus, serious stamp collectors are keenly aware that the value of stamps goes beyond monetary worth. That is not to say, however, that the pecuniary value of rare stamps is something to sneeze at. A rare Swedish stamp printed in 1855 was sold for at least US$2.3 million in 2010, leaving serious stamp collectors or philatelists dreaming that they would one day stumble upon a rare, expensive stamp, too.

Certainly, rare Philippine stamps do not cost as much. Nevertheless, they are attractive and significant as they commemorate important events in the country. A recent exhibit at various Robinsons malls that featured a 48-stamp collection was proof of this. Stamps like the Beatification of Pope John Paul II, St. Pedro Calungsod, President Benigno Aquino III, Corazon Aquino, Ninoy Aquino, the WWF Crocodile, the Philippine Endemic Lizards, Philippine Endemic Frogs, Jose Rizal @ 150, the Heritage Churches, Philippine Marine Biodiversity, Nuts and Seeds, Pitcher Plants, the Malacañang Palace, Maria Makiling, Bernardo Carpio, Amihan and Habagat, and others were on display.

More than just an exhibit, however, the stamp display was to commemorate the formal opening of PhilPost Post Offices that would be housed in various Robinsons Malls. The post offices will be part of the mall group’s Lingkod Pinoy Centers, which aim to be “one-stop- shop” centers so that more people can transact with government offices that are conveniently located in one place.

“Our purpose is to put under one roof various satellite government offices where the public can transact their business with them comfortably,” confirms Arlene Magtibay, Robinsons Land Corp. general manager for commercial centers. She shares that 23 PhilPost counters will be put up in various Robinsons’ Lingkod Pinoy Centers throughout the country.

 Apart from PhilPost Robinsons Malls host satellite offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance, Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-IBIG), GSIS GW@Ps, DOT, LRA, TESDA and LTO. 

For her part, PhilPost general manager and chief executive officer Josefina M. de la Cruz had this to say: “This is doubly significant at a time when we are not just selling stamps. PhilPost is a logistics company and is looking forward to the possibility of operating as a Philippine portal for its clientele.”
At this time when there is renewed interest in letter writing, when the preservation of historic post office buildings throughout the country makes it imperative for the public to support and stand by the PhilPost, the counters at various Robinsons Malls make transacting with that government agency easier. We may send letters via the Internet, but until a teleportation device (similar to that in the sci-fi series Star Trek) is invented, packages have to be sent by post. So, stamps are here to stay.